Stranger Things Season 5 Vol. 1: Why Is Holly Wheeler, Mike And Nancy's Sister Targeted By Vecna?

Those

who are not hardcore fans of Stranger Things will be surprised to see Nancy (Natalia Dyer) and Mike Wheeler's (Finn Wolfhard) youngest sister, Holly, become instrumental. In the fifth and final season of Stranger Things, the Duffer Brothers follow up on a clue left early in Season 1, and like Will Byers (Noah Schnapp), Holly Wheeler is taken in the Upside Down. Here's all you need to know about Holly, the character, and the actress who plays her. Warning: Spoilers Ahead!

Who is Holly Wheeler?

It becomes apparent the Wheeler family is also a target this season as little Holly Wheeler is abducted by Demogorgon. She is taken on November 3, 1987, three days and five years after Will Byers first disappeared. Real fans know that Holly wasn't randomly chosen. In the first season, after Will was taken, Mike's mother, Karen (Cara Buono), takes her along as she visits Will's mother, Joyce (Winona Ryder), to console her.

Little Holly wanders into Will's room and seems transfixed by the flickering lights in Will's room. It's a foreshadowing of things to come. Cut to the fifth season, where viewers see Holly conversing with a shadowy figure only she can see. A concerned teacher calls her mother in to school over it, and Holly explains to her family that her imaginary friend is Mr. Whatsit. This is a reference to Madeleine L’Engle’s classic book A Wrinkle in Time, which Holly is shown to be reading in the early episodes.ALSO READ: Stranger Things Season 5 Vol 1 Review: Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown Starrer Has Slow Start Yet Ups Emotion And Action

Who is Holly's imaginary friend Mr. Whatsit?

The big reveal comes in Episode Two, titled The Vanishing of Holly Wheeler, in which it is revealed that Karen and her husband, Ted Wheeler (Joe Chrest), have been seriously injured in protecting Holly from the Demogorgon. Holly has a different Upside Down experience than Will did five years ago. It is almost as if she stepped back in time to the Creel house in the 1950s. A suited Henry (Jamie Campbell Bower) warns her to stay put at the home, bribing her with a Tiffany cassette and lots of dresses to try on. Holly will continue to be a part of the second half of the season, as Vecna has a major plan to not just get her but also other schoolchildren whom he deems weak. At a panel earlier this month, Matt Duffer revealed that they turned the focus on Holly because, "as we were working on season five, we talked a lot about wanting to recapture some of the spirit of the first season."

Who is Nell Fisher?

In the previous seasons, Holly was played by twins Anniston and Tinsley Price. The character didn't have many lines and was often shown by her mother Karen's side. For the final season, the Duffers recast the character with an older actress named Nell Fisher.

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The 14-year-old actress is of British and New Zealand descent and has lived in South Africa, New Zealand, and London. She has previously appeared in the Kiwi TV show My Life is Murder Season 2 starring Lucy Lawless and the feature films Bookworm, Evil Dead Rise, Northspur, and Choose Love.